Running Our First Stationery Event: A Retrospective on the "On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville" Weekend!

It’s time for a report on our On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville event, which took place this past weekend in my hometown of Franklin (outside of Nashville, for those not from the area). While event organization can be a nervewracking experience, it's also incredibly satisfying when things go right, and this past weekend turned out to be a success.

View fullsize

We had ink and paper samples on the table for swatching throughout the weekend.

So what was On The Paper Trail, Live in Nashville? This event wasn't intended as a "pen show" or a "stationery fest," but rather more of an extended weekend meetup, "mini-con", or even a conference. While we had five vendors - Vanness Pens, The Gentleman Stationer, Kaleidocraft Prints, Butler Stationery, The Well-Appointed Desk/Skylab Letterpress, and Tri-Star Studios (Scott Lewis, an independent penmaker) - the focus was intended to be on the ongoing classes and demonstrations throughout the event space. We also deliberately kept attendance below capacity to offer a more relaxed experience for both vendors and attendees. Each vendor was different enough that there wasn't much duplication at all among our respective offerings, and we managed to cover a pretty broad range of stationery. Bill Pearcy of Pilot Pens also was there with a full set of tester fountain pens, so that attendees could try all the various Pilot specialty nibs.

View fullsize

The event also went well beyond pens and traditional stationery items! For example, on Friday night Derek Deweese of dwrdnet hosted a type-in, with over a dozen different typewriters available for attendees to try. During the day on Saturday, Lisa at OliveOctopusInk ran an ink painting seminar and demonstration in the main hotel space, and as you can see from the picture above it cleared out the ballroom - which was exactly what we wanted! On Saturday night, Kaleidocraft prints sponsored a washi swap and social, where attendees could trade washi tape and learn how to use it. People hung around after hours, and there was always a group journaling or trading pens and inks in the hotel common area, like pen shows used to be.

View fullsize

Throughout the weekend, Lisa Vanness, Ana Reinert, and I taught classes, some of which were paid and some of which were free. Ana taught her popular stamp carving and Gamify Your Life Seminars, Lisa taught journaling for mental health, and I ran three sessions on notebook systems (my current obsession/area of interest). Everyone's classes were well-attended, and if there was one drawback to the location it was that classroom space was a bit tight. Given how friendly and laid back the hotel staff was, however, we're looking at ways we can adapt to hopefully run the event in the same space next year. Many thanks to everyone who came out! We enjoyed meeting all of you and hope to see you in the future, either back in Nashville or perhaps in additional locations….

For news and updates on future events, or simply to keep up with the On The Paper Trail Community, consider giving the podcast a listen! We are up to 18 episodes at the moment, and our next episode will include a brief event recap.

Favorite Specialty Nibs That Don't Require a Nib Grind or Modification

Many people are understandably nervous about having a nib modified by a nib grinder, whether that’s reducing a nib’s size from broad to medium, medium to fine, or changing the shape of the tipping entirely to something like a stub, architect, or kodachi. Nib modifications are irreversible. Once you’ve ground a nib into a new shape you can’t return it to its prior form without cost-prohibitive retipping, so it’s definitely wise to carefully consider any modification before you alter a favorite pen.

Look for the “SF”, “SM”, or “SFM” designation on Pilot nibs to find the relatively rare “soft” designation.

One way to test the suitability of a potential nib modification is to purchase a pen with a stock specialty nib. For example, if you’re considering having a nib ground to a stub or an architect, consider picking up a stock version and testing the grind/style of nib before modifying a pen in your collection. While stock nibs won’t be tailored to your personal handwriting - the main benefit of having a nib ground in person - they do give you an idea of how a style of nib writes and the opportunity for a longer “road test”. Pen shows and pen clubs can be helpful if people allow you to write a few lines, but I often need a week or more of continuous writing before I figure out whether a grind or nib style will work for me.

TOp “Stock” Specialty Nib Recommendations

1. TWSBI 1.1mm Stub. Those who have never written with a stub or italic nib should try TWSBI’s 1.1mm stub nib. Available in nearly all their pen models, this stainless steel stub is smooth and delivers good ink flow. It’s an excellent way to explore stub/italic line variation at a lower cost. We’ve previously done comprehensive posts devoted entirely to stock stub nibs, which we had to break into Part I and Part II.

2. Tom’s Studio Architect Nib. Stock architect nibs are difficult to do well because the smoothness of this grind depends heavily on your writing angle. The Tom’s Studio Architect starts as a double broad stainless steel nib, so it has a bit more tipping and is ground at a more forgiving angle than many architects. You can purchase this nib as a stand-alone add on to a Tom’s Studio pen, or you can find it pre-installed on certain pens in their Studio Pocket line.

3. Pilot Kakuno EF or Pilot PO Nib. A lot of people think they want a needle-tip or “ultra extra-fine” fountain pen - until they actually write with one. Those of us who learned to write with ballpoint technology tend to apply far too much pressure, which can absolutely make a very fine fountain pen feel “scratchy”. (You are essentially pressing a needle into the surface of the page and trying to drag it around.) Before customizing one of your own pens, try an inexpensive steel-nib EF Pilot Kakuno, or a Pilot Custom 912 with a PO nib if you prefer gold. Both of these pens offer a sense of how most needlepoints “feel” on the page, including whether you need to adjust your own writing pressure in order for these nibs to be usable.

4. Pilot “Soft” Series or “FA” Nibs. Considering having one of your gold nibs modified for flex or semi-flex? Many people don’t consider (1) how much ink these nibs put on the page, making them impractical for writing on lower-quality paper; and (2) how you need to slow your writing down when writing with a flex nib so that the ink flow can keep up. While the Pilot “Soft” nibs and the FA nibs are not necessarily true vintage-style flex, they will give you a sense of whether this type of wetter-writing pen is for you.

View fullsize

Note the wide downstrokes and narrower cross strokes on this Stub.

Nib grinds and modifications can be fun, and even addictive. That said, as I mentioned above it’s usually irreversible in the sense that if you don’t like the result, you’re left replacing either the nib or the pen. Stock nibs can be a less expensive (or at least less permanent) way to explore, and we regularly recommend these options and more for those looking to branch out from your standard round nibs.

Looking to learn more? Come see us in person at our Nashville shop or at a pen show! We will be at the Dallas Pen Show next week (September 25-27), and from October 16-18, we will be co-hosting the On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville weekend event. Both events have nib grinder opportunities, so be sure to buy your tickets in advance.

What's the Best Everyday Stationery Bag? My Own Considerations and 5 Options for Pen Show Season

We’re gearing up for pen show and trade show season, and I’ve been fielding regular questions about bag and case options in advance of Stationery Fest in NYC, the D.C. Pen Show the following week, and the San Francisco Pen Show later that month. In between, I may also be attending NY Now and Shoppe Object, two large to-the-trade stationery shows in New York City. So let’s just say that “stationery carry” is on my mind. Here I’m going to walk through a handful of considerations when choosing a show bag (or just a stationery bag in general), and then I’ll discuss a few of my go-to options. This list is not intended to be exclusive, but rather to offer some ideas based around models I use regularly.

View fullsize

I rarely overstuff a bag like this anymore, but with a well-designed option like the Rickshaw Banzai Bag, you certainly can!

Key Considerations for a Stationery Bag

1. Smaller Backpacks, Please. When you’re at a show, don’t be that person who carries the giant 40L backpack that slams into people, knocks over items on tables, and blocks peoples view. Just don’t. Some shows are actually imposing bag size limits. If you need a backpack, choose a smaller “day pack” size option that fits flat against your back. Even for everyday carry, you probably need a smaller bag than you think. When I have a bag that’s too big, stuff tends to shift and collect at the bottom and things get dinged up.

2. Choose a Bag Tailored to What You Actually Carry or Plan to Buy at a Show. If you’re going to a show mainly to buy a few pens or have pens ground, you can fit a LOT of pens into a very small bag, and you can even get away with carrying a small portfolio-style pen case or clutch. Tote bags are great if you’re shopping for lightweight items like washi tapes and other accessories. I’ve done pen shows with nothing but a Rickshaw Sinclair and it was super liberating to ditch the backpack or messenger bag. Buying paper or larger items requires more planning and extra capacity.

3. Comfort is Key. If you’re planning to carry heavy stuff (i.e., lots of paper), or if you’ll be out all day and need to carry snacks and a water bottle, choose a bag with a supportive strap. I cannot emphasize enough how heavy paper can get - try lugging it all over Tokyo in warm weather - and an ergonomic backpack was key to keeping the trip enjoyable.

4. Organization and Protection. I personally prefer bags with multiple compartments and pockets, to keep my notebooks separate from my water bottle, pen cases, and everything else. It also helps me stay organized since I carry so many different types of things with me at any given time. For shows, I would emphasize protection - if you’re buying pads of paper or soft notebooks, a bag with a laptop slot or a padded interior will keep them from getting dinged up in transit if you aren’t staying at the show venue and can’t run them up to your room or out to your car.

View fullsize

I’ve really reduced my carry over the years, and have largely moved on from an “I must take everything” approach.

My 5 Favorite Stationery Bags and Cases for Pen and Stationery Shows

1. Rickshaw Banzai Bag. Designed for pen people, this compact messenger/sling bag is unobtrusive and holds a surprising amount given its compact size. I like to carry this as part of a modular system with multiple Rickshaw cases including the Sinclair and Fillmore pen cases (discussed further below). For an even slimmer system that operates off this same concept, the Lochby Field Sling is designed to carry a notebook, a pen case, and maybe some extras.

2. Tom Bihn Synapse. I have the Synapse 25L but you can also opt for the smaller Synapse 19. I took the larger version to Japan, since it doubled as both a day bag and my primary carry-on. I love this bag because (1) it has at least 5 externally accessible zippered pockets and compartments, and (2) it doesn’t have a clamshell zipper, meaning that there’s no risk of the bag coming completely unzipped and all your stuff falling out. This bag can be cinched down to a compact size, but it can also hold a ton of stuff if you need it to.

3. Rickshaw Sinclair Model-R and/or Fillmore. These pen cases will hold 3-6 pens and a small notebook, and will fit inside the Banzai bag or any other bag or backpack. They are great for modular packing, but as mentioned above can also be carried on a stand-alone basis as a clutch. When I’m working from a coffee shop or going to pen club, more often than not I’m taking just a notebook or planner and my Fillmore. (The cloud design shown here is our own shop exclusive, which is hand-drawn by Nick Dominguez and available in multiple Rickshaw formats!)

4. Lochby Venture Pouch and/or Venture Pouch Mini. Similar to the Rickshaw cases, yet also completely different, the Lochby Venture Pouch is a double-sided pen pouch/bag that functions as a slotted pen case on one side and a standard stationery pouch on the reverse. (For a full demonstration of how this works, check out this YouTube video I did years ago.) The Lochby Field Sling also features a removable strap and can be carried clutch-style if you need slightly more capacity, or alternatively you can use a strap like that on the Field Sling and turn your Venture Pouch into a compact sling bag.

5. Any Tote Bag. As long as you don’t let them get too heavy, I LOVE tote bags for shows. I’ll typically stash a roll-up tote somewhere - either under the table or in my main bag - and break it out if I get carried away with my purchases. Tote bags are also great at stationery fests, where the emphasis is more on smaller, more lightweight items like stickers, washi tape, and less-precious pens and pencils. I will do a plug for the Rickshaw Musette, which features a longer strap and was designed for these events in that you can easily convert to a cross body bag for added security in crowded ballrooms.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by online purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

View fullsize

A top-down look at the Rickshaw Musette Tote, which is long enough to hold a full pad of paper. This can be worn over the shoulder, cross-body, or carried as a tote bag.

Unpacking the Inaugural San Francisco Stationery Fest (Literally and Figuratively), Plus Save the Date for On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville!

To be honest, I didn’t get to shop much at the 2026 San Francisco Stationery Fest that we attended last week. The show was MUCH busier than I anticipated, with crowds that approached the San Francisco Pen Show. I did get to roam a bit on Sunday and managed to collect some stamps, and I had a steady stream of attendees bringing me stickers throughout the weekend once they realized we were unable to break away. (Thank you all!) In this week’s episode of On the Paper Trail, we had an in-depth discussion of our reactions to the show and how we felt that it differed from a traditional pen show. I won’t go into all those topics again here, but the two main takeaways that stuck with me were:

• Stationery and analog tools are growing in popularity and showing no sign of slowing down. Best of all, people aren’t just collecting - they are using their stationery to plan, journal, and simply to make everyday life more enjoyable.

• The growing interest in stationery extends well beyond pens. While pens were certainly popular this weekend, the focus fell on things like washi tape, paper, rubber stamps (including free stamps that attendees could collect at tables), and stickers. It was refreshing to meet other customers and vendors who haven’t previously attended traditional pen shows.

View fullsize

A couple shots of the T.G.S. and Vanness tables during setup on Friday

View fullsize

View fullsize

We brought TGS, Vanness, and On The Paper Trail rubber stamps and well, people tested them.

While T.G.S. started as a website focused on pens and pen reviews, over the years the scope of the site (and later, the shop) expanded to cover both the traditional fountain pen community as well as other segments of the stationery world. Especially as we’ve built out core shop categories such as Roterfaden and other Notebook Systems, I’ve personally become more interested in the goings-on in the planner and general stationery community, so this particular show resonated with me in a way recent pen shows haven’t, especially the focus on using products over pure collecting and the large number of seminars, workshops, and meetups available to attendees. The organizers did a great job curating vendors and classes.

View fullsize

Vendor Tokyo Seihan offered three different giant Godzilla stamps throughout the weekend, free to anyone who came by the table. Unfortunately I was only able to get one on Sunday!

View fullsize

You could also buy a set of your own Godzilla stamps at their booth.

The Sleeper Hit of the Show: Multi Pens!

People always ask me: What sold well at the show? This time around, the answer was multi pens. The stationery crowd loves color, and multi pens offer the ability to quickly switch between inks and line size in a way that can be difficult with fountain pens. I brought several different multi pen “systems” with me, and based on the conversations I had with attendees and questions they asked, it might be helpful to offer a few points of clarification for those who bought a pen in San Francisco or who might otherwise be interested in further exploring this category of writing instruments:

1. Most multi pen systems use proprietary refills. The two most popular gel multi pens are the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto system (famous for it’s needle-tip), and the Uni Style-Fit. While both offer a wide array of colors and tip sizes, you cannot use the refills interchangeably.

2. Ballpoint and hybrid ballpoints (i.e. Jetstream/Acroball) have limited color options. These are almost always black, blue, green, and red. The one exception is the Pilot 4+1 multi pen, which uses a Pilot multi pen refill that happens to be the same diameter as the Uni Style-Fit refill, so this excellent multi pen can use both ballpoint and gel ink! (Once I was able to demonstrate this we sold a lot of these Pilot 4+1 pens last weekend.)

3. D1 multi pens allow you to mix and match refills from different brands, though you will be limited in terms of color options. Some multi pens (namely the Lamy 2000, Pilot Legno, most Tombows, and Penco pens) use a universal D1 size, which will let you mix ballpoint and gel inks, as well as use refills from different brands. That said, D1 refills don’t usually come in the wide range of colors and tip sizes that the Uni and Pilot gel ranges offer.

View fullsize

The two stars of my San Francisco Stationery Show Table, at least pen-wise.

Last But NOT LEAST: SAVE THE DATE For On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville October 16-18!

Today’s post seems as good a time as any for a fun announcement: Lisa Vanness and I will be hosting our own event in Nashville the weekend of October 16-18! While we are still finalizing details with the venue (including the final number of attendees we can accommodate and details on hotels, etc.), it’s time to go ahead and announce On the Paper Trail: Live in Nashville! We’re planning a smaller event that will focus on a select number of vendors - while still representing most major categories of stationery - along with a heavy focus on classes, seminars, and opportunities for attendees to socialize during the event and after-hours. We’ve spent a lot of time visualizing what we’d consider to be our “ideal” stationery event, and think that we’ve come up with something unique that will be enjoyable for all. We can’t wait to share the details with you - stay tuned for a follow-up announcement. In the meantime, get caught up on all SIX episodes of On the Paper Trail, our joint podcast, and we’ll probably have more to share next week when we record Episode 7!

View fullsize

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee.

Behind the Scenes: Getting Ready for a Pen Show (or Maybe Two...)

Given the level of response to the On the Paper Trail Pre-Pen Show Livestream and Episode 4: Recapping the California Pen Show, I thought it might be fun to offer a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of our prep for this week’s Arkansas Pen Show, held at the Wyndham Riverfront in Little Rock Friday through Sunday. We have plenty of new stuff that arrived this week, which we’ll be taking with us! Follow along as I sort through it.

View fullsize

A few of these have been out of stock for a while, and I was pushing to get them back in stock prior to Arkansas. Yes, Yamamoto Bank Paper is still with us and will be making an appearance.

My Pen Show Strategy - Lots of Paper and Accessories

I try to make the T.G.S. tables stand out at any show I attend, and that mostly means focusing on items that other vendors at the show are less likely to have, including store exclusives and other merchandise that customers want to see in person. For me, notebook systems and pen cases like Roterfaden, Yamamoto Ro-biki, and Lochby have been perennial hits at pen shows because it can be difficult to get a sense of how they work online and they demonstrate well in person. I also always try to bring fun items like the Hightide Sandglasses and Toyo Steel Boxes, as well as mechanical and woodcase pencils, which tend to be grossly underrepresented. Arkansas has always been a great show to shop accessories, as there are usually several vendors selling handmade leather notebook covers, journals and more. People ask me why I tend not to bring a broad range of fountain pens to pen shows, and the simple answer is that you can buy those elsewhere and I want my contribution to the show to be unique and additive.

View fullsize

Yes, we have a LOT of new Roterfadens in stock, coming to a pen show near you! We have A5 and A4, so be sure to check them all out.

Arkansas Isn’t a Suitcase Show, WHich Means The Table Will Look Different!

Later this month T.G.S. will be attending the San Francisco Stationery Fest, where we will be largely limited to what we can pack into two suitcases. Being able to load displays and collapsible crates into a car before driving a few hours is much more convenient and makes for a different show setup, so don’t be surprised if you see a different look to the T.G.S tables in Arkansas as opposed to San Francisco. For the Arkansas show I’m able to bring things like spinner displays and racks, which is better for displaying heavier paper and larger notebooks. Obviously, you can’t lug that stuff onto an airplane, so while I’ll likely have Roterfaden with me the San Francisco Stationery Fest is definitely going to be heavier on things like pencils, multipens and washi tape!

View fullsize

Yes, Canopus notebooks will make an appearance, freshly arrived from Japan!

Look for livestreams, videos, and more from this weekend’s festivities. While we’re out the store will be closed on Friday but open on Saturday! Be sure to check the Shop Hours page or the Google Profile for updates.